Card Collecting

[dbuchan]

So now that I think I found something that interest me almost 20yrs later. How do you go about picking the things you collect? Price? Rarity? Player? Teams?

I don't have a particular favorite baseball team or player, probably doesn't help that I don't watch the sport on TV. But I do have multiple favorite football players and at least a favorite team there.

Any ideas or suggestions? I'm not sure where to start. And in my case, if I don't have a direction to head in, I'd probably do better doing it blind.

[familytoad]

FB collecting can sometimes be cheaper than Baseball, depending on the era and team you like.
If you have a favorite team and a favorite few players, list them out and I'm sure the collecting community here can help you identify and maybe even acquire them.

If you like baseball, the choices are tremendous. Maybe your favorite FB team's home city influenced your new favorite baseball team.

Almost every city in America has a home team, even if some are kinda far away
Those are the easiest to follow, or maybe go to a game. Most ballparks have a nice historical section highlighting their past if you prefer collecting older cards (not active players...I don't collect modern cards, my motto is "deader the better")

Give us a clue about your interests and you'll get some suggestions here. Don't be "forced" into collecting for someone else, or even worse, for investment. Just have fun and learn about this great hobby!

[dbuchan]

Well Im a tremendous Colts Fan. Old and new. It was making me realize the other day looking through my FB and Baseball cards that I KNOW more people in FB history than Baseball, so that kinda helps out. I do know scoring the Babe Ruth I did earlier this month made baseball collecting exciting for the new stuff.

Being from Indiana we don't really have a local MLB team unless you go for a Chicago team or Ohio team. I think anything old or new Colts would be great. But I think Id enjoy something a littler new since I can easier relate to these people possibly playing.

Also I'm not opposed to going for the sport that I could possibly make a hobby out of but make money on that hobby too, such as scoring the Babe Ruth. I made up the checklist tonight of the Topps Series 2 and I think I'm going to go for at least completing the SETS and getting any goodies in between.

[dabigyankeeman]

What city do you live in? Collect cards from all the teams in all the major sports in your city (or the closest city to you with big league teams or any city that you like).

This gives you great latitude to have a very very wide selection of different interesting cards both old and new and also both expensive and cheap. Its a great fun way to collect!!!! I have cards in baseball/football/basketball/hockey for New York teams, going from 1887 thru cards printed last week!!!! I focus more on baseball, and more on the Yankees than any other team, but i collect them all, and i love it.

Or look for different unusual things to collect. For instance I collect cards of pitchers who Mickey Mantle hit home runs off of. I also collect Jewish athletes in all sports. There is a lot of fun to be had in card collecting!!

[clydepepper]

Some of the 'niches' in my collection are:

1.) players born on my birthday (you can find these with a search on BaseballReference.Com ),

2.) players who were born in my hometown,

3.) players who played at one time or another, for my local minor league team,

4.) players who have performed the single-game records of either four homeruns, an unassisted triple-play or a perfect game (I try to get those players from the specific year of their feat).
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